The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-09
9NNOLFOLK's WlCKEDNESS
re BLOOD OF HIS FAMILY UPON
A HIS HANDS.
,etails Of the Wholesale Butchery
a In Ge0rgia-His Crime OF
A lncestuOus Rape.
ATLANTA Constitutional


Bodice, each Drained with an axe, was
)he sight which greeted the eyes Of
ohe people Of Ii azard's district, as they
cathered in the early morning at the
house OF Capt. Richard F. Voolfolk.
When yong Tom Voolfolk, In the
hour just before dawn, ran through
the neighborhood giviog the alarm
that he had been driven from homo,
there was no thought Of the terrible
tragedy which awaited them. 10 the
house were found the entire family
In the embrace Of death, cave the one
who had escaped and gwen the alarm.
AL had been b's,ned with an axe ex.
cept one, whoes head was mashed in
BY a blade, beside having blow from
an axe.
THE DEAD.
CAPT. RICHARD Il. VOOLFOLK. aged
Mr. :. VOOLFOLK, aged forty.on
RICHARD II. VOOLFOLK, JR.. AGED
PEARL VOOLFOLK. asoi seventeen.
ANNIE VOOLFOLK, ased ten.
ROSEBUD VOOLFOLK, aged seven.
CHARLES VOOLFOLK. aged 6ye.
MATTE VOOLFOLK, aged eighteen
MRS. TEMPLE WEST. aged eighty. four.
The beds were colted with blood
and streams bad run down on the
4 ,or and criss. crossed each other 80
that 1t was impossible for the callers
to keep from stepping In 1t. As they
went from one 70 I'm to another re-
petition Of the same sight was seen.
Dead bodies laid around 10 ones and
twoe and threes. The heart grew sick
and imagination refused 10 credit
itself with what II saw. Innocent
childhood and slalwart m anhood, the
mother and the babe, the fa,ber and
the son, blooming young woman.
hood, all lay there.
A HEcAToNB OF DEATH.
The sceue 60 oveIca ne toe on lockers
that II was an hour bsfofe they Iuld
take their minda Of tie horror Of the
occasion and inquire why was the
murder and who was the murde: or.
Col. Voolfolk had no enemies. He
was popular cit zen-one whom his
ne'ghbors looked up TO. He was the
advisor Of the poor around him, the
benefactor OF those who needed and
the oracle Of those who moved In
higher circles. His family stood
smong the Fl IT in this section Of
Georgia. His children we're growing
up around him in peace and Joy. His
daughter, Mrs Pearl, rad Just re.
turned from LAGRANGE Femae Col.
lege, where she stood among the first
in the graduating class. TIE murder
c!one 0! the family would have been
q mystery. The murder Of ths whole
family
SURPASSED ALL BELIEF.
Who could tho murderer be?
All this time young Tom Voolfolk
was walking around from rom to
room. Not tear ever came to his
eye no! muscle quiverei 10 agita-
ton.
Il had 10 jump out OF the window
when they came" said he, "cr they
would have gotten me. too"
"And why did YOU not defend
+. them 2" he was ssked.
because they might have killed
me-" he said, as cas- ing his eyes down,
he began to pace the q or again.
PGentlemen," said Major Cicero
Tharp, 81 am in favor Of taking rope
: and hanging that wretch, Tom Wool
FOLK, nc ! believe Re murdered his
brothers and sts,ers"
Il Thus his suspicion which tai been
forming on ths minds o. all found sx.
preston. A hurried consultation was
A held and II was resolved TO arrest Tom
|. until iuvts,iea ion shonld establish
the iacis. "I.'a what ] have been
waiting ior," he said s,olldly, "but
didn't kill them people"
Then IL was that the neighbore
recalled the fact that Tom had long
besn the black sheep Of this family
that he bad been a moet driven oui
for fear of his bad innuencs on the
Others.
f. Last March Tom had sal !, si1nifi.
Gently, 10 one OF the farm hands, "this
ie my property; father has made II
over 20 his " r., bit che will never
live TO get It," and thus tbs tangled
web was wound rou Il the ulfortu.
nate young mar, aud the moore bsg'r
10 darge IN imagination above BIZ
head. The Story Of his domestic 70
latons was snch % 81 lend color IN tbs
suspicion that he was this murderer
Capt. Voolfolk had been married
twice. By his first wife he had TIRE,
children ION. Mrs Edwards, OF Eis
Macon, and MrS. Cowan, OF HawkinI
Vile. For hitt res nd viii be tool
Miss Howard, the daughter Of Mtj
Ben Hossrd, q sirl Il remarkabl,
beauty.
BY her we're born 10 him the chill
dren who str- 30 Iuihlsssly murdered
last night. Tom, from the fret, wa
waywsId and villiul. To bis ttep
mother he Vas always deere psclful
returning her approaches WITH scorl
:. and refusing every kindness offered.
- "She will be slry she marriet
father yet" was a iagori,e expression
His father, whose kindness OF hear
was great, never puoished the boy q
be ought, aud thus he grew mp.
n noruER's rEARs
This time he fonnd hi. half sistel
Miss Pearl, at home She had ia,
graduated from Latirauge Female 10
lege, and had q eveloped into youn
lady OF great " ace and beauty. Tor
evidently admir- ed her, but such o,
miraiion az he would have bestowe
was exactly what the muther did NJ
want l, seemed a. II Tom took
4 ndieh delight in staying atouud u
houA. Thus the parties 10 the ira
edy are brought face 10 face.
Tom, wicked and revengeful, seel
ing 10 ind CT upon the woman whoi
he hated, the greatest wrong he coul,
Mrs. Voolfolk, solicitous for her chi
dren and anxious TO protect the
against G dotestable wretch,
THE FIRST ATTACK.
Before the coroBer's jury the e'
dence seemed 10 point 10 the fact th
Captain Voolfolk was killed first, III,
his wife, and then In detail each OF q
children a. they rushed into the ROOF
After q careful inquiry, and putin
the facts together, Your Corresponds
Ia satisfied that the beginning oil u
attack was an assault